Stormy Forecast
by Viral
Summary: Ororo finally experiences romance in her dry life. Ironically, at this same time, she is plagued by someone who has an intent on killing her -- or is it just a fabrication of the Windrider's stressed emotions?
1. The Nightmares

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral 

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction; a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas. 

Author's Note: I'm in the process of writing another fan fiction, so I will be alternating between the two.

-=-=-=-

Normally at this time of night Ororo would be resting in bed, but instead she was on ground level of Xavier's Mansion in the kitchen. Her blue eyes were focused outside on the snowy ground as she drank her small mug of hot chocolate. She was dressed in a tight cotton robe and a pair of typical slippers. Her hair was pinned up loosely and her composure was restless. Only when she heard a gruff clearing from a man's throat did she turn around to notice Remy had come to join her in the kitchen. She gave one solid look to his black-on-red eyes, until she turned back around to face the window and the dark night.

"Stormy, what be de matta?" Remy asked, and walked over to her. He lifted his warm hands to her shoulder and began to give her a relaxing massage.

She placed her mug of hot chocolate down on the kitchen counter to prevent a spilling. "There is nothing wrong," she said lightly as she enjoyed the massage.

"Dun be lyin to Remy," he warned as he continued the massage, "Remy may not be Logan, but he can smell when somethin wrong." Remy's Cajun accent and vernacular was not exactly correct English, but he made his point and the sincerity was in his voice.

"It is nothing important that I cannot deal with by myself," she said with a sigh.

"Now dat you be Remy's woman, you dun have the right to deal with things by yourself."

Ororo cocked her head to the side, removed her shoulders from under Remy's hand, and turned her neck to face him. "That is absurd. You do not own me, and you surely do not have the privilege of telling me what I am able to do. Is it truly necessary that we have this conversation, _again_?"

"Remy is only trying to help, chere. But he not going to sit her and be told what to do," Remy noted, stabbing back in response.

"Remy, the last time we had this conversation you promised not to try and take dominion over me," Ororo began and then paused. 

"But now we are right back at square one. How many more times must we go through this?"

"Maybe none. Dis not workin out," Remy said with a low tone in his voice.

"Then maybe we should end this relationship. I appreciate your kindness, but you are demanding me to be your woman-servant, not your girlfriend," Ororo responded.

She stood from the chair, and thus ended the romantic relationship between Ororo Munroe and Remy Lebeau. Taking her hot chocolate in her hand, she made her way out of the kitchen. Just as she was about pass through the threshold, Remy called out to her, "Have a good night, Stormy."

"If I were not nearly as tired as I am, I would tackle you for calling me that foolish name," Ororo smiled back at him.

Remy smiled as he watched Ororo continue to walk off. At least the break-up had not been dramatic and at least it did not damage their friendship. But Ororo was that kind of woman: always quick to the think and slow to wrath.

-=-=-

Ororo was now in the attic of the Xavier's Mansion, which was known to everyone as Ororo's large bedroom. There, she lay in her cozy bed, silent as a baby and physically at peace. Though her dreams were a different story:

Ororo stood in complete darkness, seeing nothing but the glow of her own eyes. She breathed heavily as she frantically turned around in all different directions, trying to figure out where she was and where to go. She heard whispers and footsteps as if someone was getting close to her. She strained her ears, trying to hear who or what it was. She even began to hold her breath, to make silent everything else except the approaching body.

_"Who are you? What do you want?" Ororo shouted as she kicked her feet out in different directions only to end up falling as a hand pushed up on her back. She landed in a pile of sharp bones, but she couldn't tell what it was because of the darkness._

_"You weren't worthy enough to lead us!" a harsh female voice yelled as it approached Ororo and stabbed a sharp object into the Windrider's chest._

"AH!" Ororo shouted, accompanied by a roll of thunder from the sky. She breathed heavily and put her right hand against her chest as she sat up from her bed. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as she attempted to catch her breath. She attempted to find the voice from her memory, but the dream was too vague already. Perhaps she should have told Remy what was wrong; at least he would have been able to hold her.

A light snow fell on the ground and Ororo found it hard to go back to sleep. She watched her alarm clock progress from 12:30am to 1:30am as she attempted to remember as much as possible about the recurring dream. Every time she attempted to close her eyes over the past five days, she received the same dream. But when she woke up, she could hardly remember a thing except that she had felt pain in her chest and the harsh voice.

Ororo felt a shiver run down her back as her telephone rang. _Who would be calling this time of night?, _she asked herself, puzzled and nearly frightened. She picked up the receiver and cautiously spoke, "Hello?" 

"Hey Ororo. What's really good? I've been expecting a call from you, chica, and I haven't heard anything." An American born Hispanic spoke over the phone, without an accent. He sounded almost _Bachelor's degree professional, _except when including Hispanic phrases into the middle of his sentences. 

Ororo had met him while attempting to save his life from the Acolytes, and he had pursued her without faltering until he got her name and a phone number. Ororo had been reluctant to speak to him for two reasons: a. her relationship with Remy, and b. her caution towards homo sapiens. Apparently, he was not as reluctant. 

"My apologies, Miguel," Ororo answered, bluntly. 

"Come on now, baby. Don't try and run me away like that. You know I won't hang up that easily," he chuckled over the phone. 

Ororo sighed in response, not able to find any words to say to him. 

"What's wrong?" 

"I do not know, Miguel. To be honest with you, I have recently removed myself from the relationship with Remy. We are no longer dating, and I suppose I feel alone," Ororo answered, and then sighed once more. 

"You know you don't have to feel lonely," he began, the compassion in his voice evident. He soon noticed the passionate side of him showing and covered it up with something more masculine, "I mean after all, a beautiful woman like you shouldn't really have a hard time finding a date." 

"Finding a date is not a problem," she answered with another sigh. The sighs were becoming, more-or-less, a part of the communication itself. "Finding someone I would want to be with is most definitely the problem." 

"What's wrong with me?" Miguel said, smiling on the other side of the phone line. 

"I am a mutant..." Ororo quickly answered with no caution of thought, "And you are a normal human." 

"So? It's not like you're a different species or something. And beautiful people deserve to give each other the chance." 

"So you think you are beautiful?" Ororo laughed. 

"Some things are just undeniable," Miguel answered slyly. 

Their conversation continued for quite some time until Miguel wore Ororo down into a date. He would love to see her face again, and find out what was truly worrying her. Meanwhile, Ororo continued to fight sleep. In the morning she would consult Xavier about her nightmares. 

-=-=-=-

Next Chapter Preview:

_Ororo rose into the air, as her paradise seemed to turn against her. The sky began to grow dark with gray clouds, and the silent air was now blowing with fog. Her breaths became heavy once more as she looked upward, attempting to find the silhouette of the culprit who was responsible for her anguish._


	2. Emotional

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction; a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

Author's Note: Rogue from X-Treme X-Men [before she lost her mutant abilities] is used. My apologies for the delay: I've been very exhausted. But I hope this chapter is sufficient enough for your enjoyment.

-=-=-=-

**O**roro failed to find sleep the previous night and was watching through her window as the sun finally began to show itself over the horizon at 7:15am. Her blue eyes exerted a desire to rest the day away, but the nervous shivering of her body between silk sheets as she sat denied her any rest. Her hair was still pinned up loosely and she had yet to leave the comfort of the tight robe. Normally at this time of the morning she had already finished watering her indoor plants, checking her outdoor plants for unwanted pests, and made sure the garden was at excelsior in maintenance.

She wondered when it would be a good time to ask Xavier for some type of help. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to be aware that Ororo Munroe had actually had a fear of something other can closed spaces. Her countenance was depressed, and her lips almost poked out as if she was angry with herself for being afraid of a little nightmare. But the malicious voice still haunted her, and it was something that could not be easily ignored. It was not everyday that someone had a warrant out for the _Beautiful Windrider_ that called for her death.

Finally, Ororo stood up and paced around the attic floor. She constantly thought to herself of what plan of action she should take. _What if someone else is roaming the second floor hallway upon my decent? _Ororo thought to herself. _Shall they not ask why do I appear to be so tired or why I have not gone about my normal morning activities? _One thing was a fact: Ororo Munroe needed to take a shower to start off her day. This was why she was so concerned with going downstairs.

Eventually, Ororo uncovered the master plan. She was on the mansion roof, in her robe, with the cold and icy air running around her body. Her immunity to heat and cold allowed her to be nil affected by the cold weather. Another gust of air came, but this time it was unnatural. It had been created by Ororo and lifted her body slightly above the roof. She then hovered off of the roof entirely, and flew effortlessly to the male dormitory of Xavier's Mansion. She counted the balconies over and over again until she was absolutely sure she had the right room. She landed on the balcony with a sound.

She looked inside the room, and surely it was the one she wanted. She removed a thin hairpin from her hair and began to play with the glass door that secured the bedroom from the balcony. Within seconds, there was a **_CLICK _**and Ororo had gained access. She silently thanked the heavens for her years in Cairo as a thief. Her lock-picking skills had refused to leave her. She slowly allowed the door to slip open and stepped inside the room.

Immediately her nose was bombarded with a familiar smell: a mix of expensive cologne and bodily warmth. She made her way to the private bathroom of the room and was nearly hit by a long staff. Quickly reacting, Ororo's arm jumped and her hand grabbed the staff and she used it to block her attacker as his shadowy figured lunged at her in attempt of a tackle. "Remy, it is me!" Ororo said, groggily as she subdued Remy.

He immediately recognized the voice and stepped back, "Stormy? What are you doing here?"

Ororo frowned, then smiled, "If I did not need to use your personal shower, I would fry you for calling me by that name."

"You can fry me any day, chere," Remy chuckled, "Remy's also a delicacy when he's boiled."

"I shall be out of your way shortly," she said as she slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. Remy, however, proceeded to go downstairs and see what Jean prepared for breakfast.

-=-=-

**A**fter she had bathed and was fully clothed, Ororo decided to skip breakfast. She knew, as with most mornings, Xavier would be in his office sipping coffee and reading headlines. She had her hair in a loose ponytail with two strands of hair loose on each side of her face, hanging with freedom. Closing her blue eyes to clear all of her thoughts, she lifted her caramel, smooth, brown hand up to the door of Xavier's office and gave it three light knocks.

"Come in, Ororo," Xavier said loud enough for Ororo to hear through the door. His telepathic skills still startled Ororo at times. Especially now since she was going through a few mental issues of her own.

She slid her hand to the doorknob and opened it slowly, and slowly entered the room, which preceded closing the door behind her. "Charles, my apologies for disturbing you so soon in the morning—"

"There is no need to be sorry, Ororo," Charles smiled as he placed his newspaper down. He took another sip of coffee before continuing, "Please sit down."

"Thank you, Professor," Ororo said as she sat down in one of the leather chairs that were placed in front of Xavier's desk. She sat for a long time without saying anything, just rubbing her forehead and looking down into her lap as if she had a migraine. Eventually, her eyes closed completely with exhaustion. It was only Xavier's voice that startled her awake again.

"Ororo, are you okay?" he frowned with concern.

"No," Ororo said bluntly. She looked up to meet his curious blue eyes and continued. "I have been having a recurring nightmare. The voice that I hear haunts me while I am awake. However, I can never remember the fullness of the dream and can never figure out who the voice is. I feel as if my mind is under attack, but I do not know for sure."

"I see..." Xavier said and then inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Ororo, I need you to concentrate as intensely as possible on the events of the dream that you do remember. I will attempt to find out if it is just a nightmare, or something greater."

Ororo nodded and her eyes closed as she tried to remember:

**Xavier found his mental body planted in Ororo's dream. Everything was overwhelmed in darkness, and only malicious whispers could be heard. He soon noticed that Ororo's mental body was nearby. He could hear her heavy breathing and almost feel the fear vibrating through the darkness. He then heard the voice that Ororo mentioned, and it also was familiar to him. Looking around for more details, Xavier began to walk in the darkness. Surely Ororo would be able to provide some light.**

**"Ororo, it is me: Charles," his mental body noted as he moved throughout the nightmare.**

**"Charles? Professor! Help me!" her mental body yelled in anxious reaction.**

**But before Charles could answer, the other voice called out, "You weren't worthy enough to lead us!"**

**The next thing he knew, the presence of Ororo's mental body disappeared, but the other form was still there. Had this nightmare killed Ororo in her own dream? He lifted his head, "Who are you?" yelling to the harsh female voice that had spoke against Ororo. "What are you doing in Storm's mind?"**

**The next thing Charles heard was a growl and then a sharp pain in his chest as his body was sent flying backwards.**

That action alone caused Charles to suddenly spring from his mental body to his physical. He grunted and held his forehead. "This is very serious, Ororo," he said as he looked up to her frowning face. "There is someone who is out to kill you, and they are preventing me from any type of interference. I recognize the voice, but it has become almost impossible for me to place it on a single person. I suspect this is the craftsmanship of another psychic."

"But I know of no female psychic who still holds a grudge against me. Unless Emma Frost is really not as trustworthy as you have claimed her to be," Ororo answered, breathing abnormally.

"I will have to study this more. For now, I will get someone else to cover your History and Elective classes for today. I need you to attempt to rest and relax," Charles said, almost demanding.

"I shall try. Thank you for your help Charles," Ororo stood up and walked behind Charles' desk. She bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "I could not have chosen a better confidant than you." She silently left the room, leaving Xavier flattered yet frightened for the Windrider's well being.

-=-=-

**O**roro walked to the doors of the Danger Room. She had plans on following Xavier's advice to rest, and knowing no one would be occupying the large room would give her plenty of room to relax. "Ororo Munroe," she said to the voice recognition mechanism of the room. A keypad ejected from the wall and Ororo entered a six-digit code. The doors slowly opened with mechanical whirring, and Ororo lazily entered. The doors closed behind her as she looked at the vast room. It was completely made of nearly indestructible metal on the ceiling, floor, and walls. However, the electronics behind it all was the real sight to see.

Ororo opened her mouth to speak again, "Danger Room: Hawaii Island scenario."

The electronically enhanced system quickly took Ororo's words through all the echoes, and the machines began to react. Ororo blinked, and by the time she opened her eyes again, she was feeling the warmth of the sun's rays and was hearing water crush against the beach. She looked down, and saw her brown-skinned feet buried under light tan sand. The water was clear to the bottom. The illusion was so detailed, that even birds flew overhead.

And even though Ororo knew the scenario was nothing more than an illusion, she was convinced that it was real enough to supply her the rest she desired. And the best thing of all: she had this paradise all to herself.

She began to walk through the sand, garbed in a two-piece bathing suit. The bottom half of the bathing suit was hidden by a towel, which wrapped around her waist and tied in a bulky knot at the left side of her hips. Her hair was in long silvery white braids that extended to the middle of her back. Ororo seemed closer to heaven than she ever had before.

Finally, she neared the crashing waves and sat down on a towel that the Danger Room had provided. She sat down on it, and her blue eyes watched the water crash on the beach, then recede back into the ocean, only to do the same thing again. Finally, as her mind cleared and all she could hear were seagulls and water, and all she could feel was a soft, warm breeze against her skin, she reclined and closed her eyes. And at long last, this time she was not plagued with voices. There was not threat that made her heart pump, and no anxiety that made her suddenly waken.

It was approximately an hour when Ororo finally opened her eyes again. The paradise scenario had entirely erased her mind of all her problems. But those problems quickly came back. Ororo rose into the air, as her paradise seemed to turn against her. The sky began to grow dark with gray clouds, and the silent air was now blowing with fog. Her breaths became heavy once more as she looked upward, attempting to find the silhouette of the culprit who was responsible for her anguish.

She could not locate the viewing port, for the illusion created by the Danger Room was still there, except it was no longer a paradise. The sun was no longer shining, for dark gray clouds covered the sky like a winter comforter. The ocean was no longer peaceful with soft waves, but tormented by furious wind. Then, over the water, Ororo could see a large tornado coming her way. She growled inwardly, and then looked up as she heard a voice echoing over the Danger Room speakers. "You weren't worthy enough to lead us! You'll die, Windrider!"

Ororo began to lose control, as her emotions raged with anger. Lightning filled her eyes and surrounded her body as their sparks shot everywhere. Eventually it would have to hit the viewing port, and she would be able to see the creator of her nightmares. Winds excelled at alarming rates as sand flew in the air and tossed around. Everything had become a wreck.

Then suddenly, the large Danger Room doors opened with the form of a developed female entering in. The holograms of the Danger Room disappeared as soon as the door opened, but Ororo's lightning bolts and wind still raged. Only then did the female run towards Ororo, "Storm! What in blazes is wrong?"

Ororo turned her eyes, to see Rogue standing at the door. Her white eyes met Rogue's green eyes and she attempted to calm herself, but her emotions were ruling over her. The anger, fear, and grief had built up to a point where Ororo could no longer control it. Ororo pointed her right hand forward as a lightning bolt shot from it. Rogue grunted as she put up a telekinetic shield. The lightning bolt continued to come at her at full force and she fell back, but managed to remain protected by the shield.

Putting her hands to her temples, Rogue concentrated and began to lay gruesome mental attacks on Storm. The Windrider screeched with pain as her body descended out of the air. "Ah'm only tryin to help you, sugah! Ah gotta do this," Rogue noted and the mental blasts began to intensify. Rogue thought to herself, She should be unconscious by now? What's goin on? Storm ain't that strong, is she?

Apparently, Xavier trained Ororo too well to withstand psychic attacks. For despite the pain, Ororo neglected to faint. She grunted and breathed heavily as she fell to the ground on her hands and knees. Her long hair was hanging down with her face and she gritted her teeth. Finally, as a last resort, Ororo's thoughts became overwhelmed with survival. A spark of lightning filled her eyes and suddenly Rogue's head jolted backwards.

Electrical phenomenon had shown itself in Rogue's neural system when Ororo used the electro-magnetism of Rogue's own blood against her. Using the conductivity of Rogue's iron, Ororo had created a lightning bolt inside the Southern beauty's body, and charged her brain.

And when the Windrider finally stood again, it was clear her emotions were still in control. For her body lifted on the wind and lightning illuminated her presence, making her into a living lightning rod. Her hands pointed to Rogue's non-responding body, and sparks danced around her fingertips. "Ororo? NO!" Ororo's eyes immediately met light brown orbs.

She breathed deeply as she finally came to awareness of what she was doing. She looked to Rogue's body, which looked almost dead and gasped. Ororo hovered down to Katherine Pryde's side. "What have I done?"

-=-=-

"Charles, there was someone else here!" Ororo yelled in Xavier's study. "They reprogrammed the Danger Room against me and I did not keep my emotions in check. Rogue walked in at the wrong time and introduced herself into harm's way."

"Ororo, I trust that you are telling as much truth as you can," the Professor answered calmly. "But Cerebro would have picked up another presence in the school. Perhaps it was all in your mind?"

"Then why is Rogue's brain in shambles and her body not responding?" Ororo said, in a less demanding tone. In truth, she was worried for Rogue's life and for her own. This person, the one who was after her life, was becoming more of a threat.

"Is there any other physical proof?" Xavier asked, skeptically.

"The view port machines were unplugged and their wires were crossed. There was no way my voice recognition could have turned the scenario off."

"So it was your luck that Rogue came in," Xavier nodded. "And her loss that she came in." Xavier thought for a moment before speaking again, "But apparently someone was here. Too bad Logan isn't here to smell for a scent. I'll go down to check on Cerebro's systems. You must stay very aware of any odd-happenings in your mind or around you."

"I shall try," Ororo frowned nervously as Xavier left the room. Then suddenly, she heard the voice once more.

Her head jerked around at the sound of the echoing whisper, "You will die, Ororo Munroe! I swear it."

-=-=-=-

Next Chapter Preview:

**Ororo listened with anxiety, hearing the footsteps coming up the staircase. If this were to be her predator, how would she react? The voice spoke continually in her mind as the footsteps neared. Her breaths became uneven and her hands shaky. Finally, the doorknob rattled and slowly turned.**


	3. Intermission

Title: Stormy Forecast  
  
Author: Viral  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction; a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.  
  
Author's Note: Not much of a chapter here. Kind of like a plot intermission, if you will.  
  
-=-=-=-  
  
"Stop apologizin, sugah," Rogue said with a slight smile. "Luckily you didn't use close to your full strength on meh. At least now Logan's healin abilities can help meh out."  
  
Ororo sat at Rogue's side as she lay in one of the infirmary beds. Ever since she had departed from Xavier's study, she stayed by Rogue's side. She was unaware of the time because she never looked up to the clock and there were no windows in the sub-basement room. "You must understand, I was worried for you. Never before have I lost control of my mind in such a way. I only fear it can get worse from here."  
  
"Yeah, sure. Get off the guilt trip. Ah'll be on my feet before you get home from your date," Rogue said with a wink and a smile.  
  
"Date?" Ororo asked in confusion before her face exhibited absolute shock. "I completely forgot about Miguel!"  
  
"Good thing Ah was listenin on the phone last night," Rogue giggled.  
  
"You are still the sneaky Rogue I met when you first moved into the mansion, are you not?" Ororo said with a smile. She placed her hand atop of Rogue's gloved hand, lovingly. "I do not think I can leave, though, without knowing you are fine."  
  
"If you don't leave, Ah'm gonna kick ya butt for standin up that hunk of a man," Rogue continued to giggle, then became serious. "Go enjoy yourself, Ororo. You deserve it."  
  
-=-=-  
  
After showering once more, Ororo was putting the finishing touches on her outfit. The evening sky was completely dark, except for a few stars that periodically shone through the cloudy night. She decided not to get extremely dressed up for the first date, but would of course go out with class. She wore a blue jean front-slit skirt, which extended down to her designer leather boots. The boots themselves went up to the top of her shins under the skirt. She wore a long-sleeve denim western shirt, which only went an inch below her waist.  
  
She looked into the mirror, blue eyes focusing as she applied lip-gloss to her upper lip. Only when her movements became light and gentle did she hear the sound of wood creaking. Suddenly, her mind drifted into her fears as remembered the sound of the homicidal voice. Ororo listened with anxiety, hearing the footsteps coming up the staircase. If this were to be her predator, how would she react? The voice spoke continually in her mind as the footsteps neared. Her breaths became uneven and her hands shaky. Finally, the doorknob rattled and slowly turned. A lightning bolt sat at her fingertips as the door opened.  
  
"Ororo?" Jean said as she stepped inside the attic. Ororo left the vanity, and went to greet Jean. "Wow! You look beautiful, Ororo. You have to let me borrow those boots one day."  
  
Ororo smiled shyly, then walked closer to Jean. "I am nervous, Jean. What shall I do on the date? What shall I say? How should I react when he arrives?"  
  
"Oh yeah, that's what I came up to tell you," Jean laughed, "He's here."  
  
"What? By the heavens, it is too early!" Ororo said nervously.  
  
"That's what you don't have to worry about, girl," Jean smiled. "As the woman of the date, you are always allowed to get down the steps 5 minutes after the man has arrived."  
  
"How does he look?" Ororo asked, calming down with a smile on her face.  
  
"Let me put it to you like this," Jean started. "If I weren't dating Scott, I would have me some of papi!" Both Jean and Ororo laughed, though Ororo's was mostly from nervousness. "Don't worry, Ororo. You'll have fun."  
  
"Thank you, Jean," Ororo said as both her and Jean exhaled in a hug of sisterhood.  
  
"Now, let's see. Jewelry. I like the ring and earrings, but you need something else."  
  
"More?" Ororo asked then pointed to her jewelry chest.  
  
"When did you get this?" Jean asked, holding up a necklace with a silver cloud and sun inscription dangling at the end.  
  
"A few years ago, when I went to visit my village in Africa," Ororo noted as she gently took the necklace from Jean's hand.  
  
"It will go hott with this outfit girl. Believe me," Jean smiled as she turned back to close the jewelry chest. "Ow!"  
  
Ororo looked up to Jean after she finished putting on the necklace, "What happened?"  
  
"A piece of wood! Gosh, it hurts," Jean exclaimed, looking down to her index finger. She telekinetically pulled out the object and it dropped to the floor.  
  
"That does not look like wood," Ororo said as she looked down to the floor at the shard.  
  
"Ororo! Come on!" Katherine Pryde said as she arrived through the floor, literally, and now stood in front of Ororo. "Logan and Remy might end up killing your date if you don't hurry."  
  
Ororo was pulled through the floor by Kitty and waved to Jean before she found herself gone through the second story, and now standing on the first.  
  
"Woah! What an enterance!" Miguel said as he stood out of his seat and walked pass Logan and Remy who had been growling and staring at him ever since he arrived. Apparently, they had their minds set on protecting Ororo.  
  
Ororo stood speechless, her eyes glued on Miguel's figure as he approached her. He was in a pair of black leather boots, loose dress pants, and a skin-tight shirt. Although Ororo found it foolish for him to be dressed like this during the winter, she didn't mind seeing the curves and cuts of his muscles.  
  
"Stormy, you look beautiful as always," Remy said, being the ever-charming Cajun. He quickly zipped pass Miguel and kissed Ororo's soft hand.  
  
"Ro knows she looks good." Logan growled, "Now step off, gumbo."  
  
"You guys are hilarious," Scott said as he arrived in the room with Ororo's leather jacket. "Here you go, Ororo. Jean told me to bring this to you."  
  
"Thank you, Scott," Ororo smiled as he put the jacket on her. She pulled her hair from beneath the collar of her jacket. "You all have a good night. And Logan?"  
  
"Yeah Ro?" Logan answered.  
  
"Do not come hunting my trail," she smiled as she left with her arm interlocked with Miguel's, out the front door. 


	4. Frosty the Snowman

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction; a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

-=-=-=-

"And now you are the Vice-President of the corporation?" Ororo asked, blue eyes focused on Miguel's dark brown orbs. They sat at the dinner table at a fancy restaurant, right next to a large picture window. Outside the huge window was a large fountain, tossing water into the air with a blue light shining against it. Miguel had successfully won her over in the romance department and his job was more than impressive. However, she was still reluctant about the entire situation. How could he cope with a mutant, and she with a normal human?

"Yes, and since I already have my Masters in Applied Physics I'm not too shaky on someone coming in and replacing me," he said, as his eyes finally left Ororo's and he continued eating his pasta.

Ororo twirled her pasta in her fork, smiling to herself. When was the last time she had been out to such a nice restaurant without the accompaniment of 13 other mutants? Even she couldn't remember. "Would it be okay if I changed the subject?" Ororo asked suddenly after chewing her pasta.

"Sure, Tormenta," he said. Tormenta was simply the Spanish translation of storm.

"What do your father and mother think of mutants?" she asked, almost whispering as she tried to hide her question from the ears of the other patrons in the restaurant.

"They're pretty cool with the whole idea of having extra abilities. I mean, Costa Rica is a tolerant place – that's where they were both born. Heck, some of the most respected leaders there are mutants."

"Hm," Ororo said as she tilted her head to the side with sincerity of thought, "That is extremely interesting. You know, it is not too often I come across a normal human who is willing to look at us as people."

"But now you have come across one," he said with a smile. His feet moved under the table as he trapped Ororo's foot between his.

"Don't you think we are a little too old for playing footsies?" Ororo asked with a very light smile on her face. Miguel's response was simply a chuckle.

"Here's your chicken parm—," a young teenage waitress said before she dropped the two plates and her eyes widened. The next sound that was heard was the glass of the large picture window shattering completely and the girl's scream as her body was pricked with a sharp stone-like weapon in her shoulder.

Ororo and Miguel immediately stood from the table, glass falling from their clothes as they looked outside the shattered window to see nothing but the fountain still spewing out water in an elegant manner. Ororo's blue eyes scanned the evening setting promiscuously. Suddenly she felt the force of a heavy body knocking her to the floor, as Miguel tackled her. "What are you doing?" Ororo yelled in shock. When she saw a collection of the same stone-like weapons stuck in the restaurant wall she realized her life had been saved.

The other patrons in the restaurant had been screaming and running around like wild animals, trying to get out through an emergency exit, while others cowered under their table for fear of being hit with the weapons. "Don't worry, Ororo," Miguel said, rolling the _r_'s on his tongue. "I'll protect you."

Miguel stood up, muscles bulging and nostrils flaring as he jumped out of the wall where the picture window used to be. He ended up splashing in the fountain, but also caught a glimpse of red eyes before his body was tossed back into the restaurant. A strong, masculine form entered the restaurant and the red eyes immediately met Storm's body on the floor. "It's over, weather witch!"

"Omega Red? You are the one haunting my dreams? How? It is not within your capabilities to attack my mind?"

"You're right. I'm not the one haunting your dreams, but I know who is and I'm here to help get rid of you!" Omega Red said with his strong Russian accent and his tendrils went flying at Storm.

"Who do you think you are buddy?" Miguel yelled in fury as he finally stood up and charged at Omega Red. He sent a powerful kick into the mutant's stomach, but to no avail. Omega Red did not even flinch. Instead, his tendrils grabbed Miguel by the waist and began to crush the man's torso.

"Enough!" Ororo yelled as she stood up. "I do not know who you are working for or what interest they have in my demise, but this is going to end now!"

"You're wrong little Windrider," Omega Red said as he laughed maliciously and began to insert 'death spores' into Miguel's body through his carbonadium coils, stealing his life energy.

"No!" Ororo yelled as a bolt of lightning was sent shocking into Omega Red's back, sending the powerful villain stumbling only a bit, but dropping Miguel. "You must have forgotten why I am named Storm!"

"Weather witch!" Omega Red yelled as he charged at Ororo with his super speed and the mere force of his momentum sent the white-haired wonder crashing into one of the restaurant walls.

"Mutant!" a policeman yelled with several others backing him up, "Hold your hands and tentacles in the air! You are violating the laws of the great city of New York!"

Omega Red growled at the interruptions as his tentacles flew into the air at abnormal rates of speed and grabbed the policemen, draining them of their energy and sending them to the floor with limp bodies. "Now, back to the matter at hand!"

Ororo groaned as she finally stood from the hole in the wall her body had created. "I have had enough!"

"It's only just begun, Storm," he smiled as his coils charged at her body.

A gust of wind sent Omega Red stumbling backwards, although not knocking him down. "Believe me, it is over!" Storm said angrily with a growl in her voice. Her cool blue eyes immediately turned white as her body became surrounded by electricity, and her silvery-white hair began to glow with radiance. "I have taken you down once, and I can certainly do it again. With or without the help of my team!" she exclaimed as she lifted her arms horizontally in the air and pointed them at Omega Red's body. Ice, snow, sleet, and the frost of the artic wind all joined at Ororo's fingertips before creating a chilly whirlwind that ripped through the restaurant and caused all the hiding people to make a run for it out of the destroyed building. The whirlwind picked up Omega Red's body and began to encase it without ice, slowing the mutant down and almost destroying his homeostasis.

When it was finally over, Omega Red was a large Popsicle on the floor of the carpeted restaurant, the fountain was completely frozen, and the restaurant itself was a meat locker. With the weather outside winter-like as well, it would take a while for things to be restored. Ororo bent down and picked up Miguel's unconscious body. This was one of her reasons for being so reluctant to dating a normal human. Be it reluctant or not, Ororo would not let the thought rest in her mind.

-=-=-

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. I promise to update again ASAP. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this chapter.


	5. Trial and Error

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction; a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

-=-=-=-

Awakening to the odd surroundings did not exactly startle Miguel as he woke up on a soft bed with small medical machines attached to his arms. What did startle him were the vastness of the room, the advance of technology, and the odd lack of memory he had from what happened before he was knocked out. His brown eyes looked around the room, before he sat up straight. Just then Dr. McCoy, better known as Beast, walked into the room. He was relieved to know he was in the X-Men's custody.

"Ah, Miguel, I see you are recuperating quite nicely," Beast said, walking over to check the machinery connected to Miguel. "It is quite an amazing feat for you to have survived Omega Red's attack."

"That's right!" Miguel said as his memory rushed back into his head. He then felt his torso and the soreness that was still there as well as the support pad that had been placed to ease some of the pain caused by Omega Red's tendrils. "Omega Red did this! Is mi Tormenta alright?"

"Storm is fine," Beast said with a smile between his fang-like teeth before disconnecting the machinery from Miguel. "Ororo is currently trying to convince the team to allow you to stay here, at least until you're fully healed. If they do allow you, you will be the 2nd homo sapien we have allowed to stay here."

"So the voting begins?" Miguel said. He hoped, not for healing purposes, but for more time with Ororo, that he would be allowed to stay. He was comfortable around mutants, but how comfortable would they be?

-=-=-

In the parlor of the Xavier's Institute sat the X-Men, excluding Beast. Scattered throughout the huge room were couches, coffee tables, and fancy decorations, all complimented by a royal red carpeting and shiny woodwork. In the center of the room Ororo addressed her case.

"Miguel risked his life against Omega Red, a deadly foe even towards Wolverine. That is enough proof to show me that he is trustworthy. He will not pose a threat to the mansion security," Ororo stated, blue eyes moving across each mutant present.

"I don't mind, hun," Rogue said with her southern accent. She had healed, with the help of Wolverine's abilities, quite quickly, though not fully. "It's about time we get some new buns around here anyway. You get tired of seein the same ol thing every mornin."

"Rogue, this is a serious matter," Cyclops addressed with stern leadership. "For all we know this guy could have just set this all up."

"Scott makes a good point Ororo," Professor Xavier said with a long sigh. He then folded his hand atop the lap of his wheelchair, "We must think this through very thoroughly. As soon as Miguel became an active participant in your life these odd occurrences have become more frequent. Could he not be the culprit?"

"You have read his mind, Charles," Ororo said with her arms cross, "You should already know the answer to that query."

"I agree with Storm, he's not a threat to us," Jean said, green eyes smiling at Ororo.

"He no angel, chere," Gambit says with angry red eyes and a scowl drooped across his face. "We can't trust him. He could be de one behind yo problems."

"Cajun, yer just jealous cause he got 'Ro," Wolverine warned and growled, "Now shut yer trap and get over it. For all we know it could be you tryin to get at 'Ro cause you can't have her no more."

"You don't know what you talkin about, Logan!" Gambit shouted as he pulled a card from within his trench coat and threatened to ignite it with kinetic energy.

Logan growled, "C'mon bub, I'm ready for you." He unsheathed his claws and looked ready to pounce on Gambit.

"After thinking this through," Shadowcat says, interrupting the pending fight between Wolverine and Gambit with her analysis. "This could be quite the memorable experiment and experience. Xavier's dream for the X-Men is for mutants and humans to peacefully coexist with one another. Miguel's stay here could be putting action to words and see what we as a team could improve on."

"That's quite an interesting theory, Katherine," Professor Xavier says and ponders the facts over one more time. "It is settled. Miguel will be allowed to stay."

-=-=-

"Dis guy, he's no good for you chere," Remy said as he followed Ororo around the attic. She was watering her plants, creating small storm clouds over the menagerie of multicolored flowers. The air in her room was fresh as she floating above the floor, bare-footed, with a cool breeze following behind her.

"Remy," Ororo said as she turned from her work just for a second. "I understand your concern, but do not be alarmed – Miguel is a very nice gentleman." Ororo faced her plants once more as the gentle showers soaked the soil.

Remy continued to follow her; heavy boots making loud footsteps on the attic floor, "Den why you been avoidin him. You worried about something, no?"

"My concerns do not lie within his presence or his company," Ororo noted with a striking tone of anger in her voice. "Remy, I understand your take on my entire situation, but I do not need your suffocating protection. You seem to think our relationship is of the same nature as when we first met: you protected me, watched over me, cared for me. When you met me, though, I had been turned into a child by a machine! I could not handle everything on my own, but now I am back to normal and I do not need you to tower over my every decision. So if you would please deny yourself the duty of acting as my father, I would appreciate it."

"You dink you have control over everyd'ing in the world, Stormy, but you don't!" Gambit shouted as he threw his hands in the air. "Just cause you can control de weather don't make you invincible! You may be de greatest of all the X-Men with all your power, but you can't handle the little stuff because you never learned how to!"

"I would have you know I grew up on the streets of Cairo, Egypt as a beggar and a thief because my parents were killed. I do not need someone to train me about life!" Ororo proclaimed with a frustrated sigh. She made her way over to her plush bed, "Remy, do you see this?" She lifted up her pillow to show a sharp dagger beneath, "There is never a night that goes by that I do not have this under my pillow! It is a fear obsession that I have had since a child. It stays with me, and yet you have the audacity to claim that I know nothing of life. All you know, Remy Lebeau, are thieves and assassins!"

"You don't understand. Gambit tryin to make you see dat you can't handle everyd'ing on your own!" he said, frustrated as he walked towards the attic door.

"I have done as much so far," Ororo replied with a challenging look on her face. She then turned away from the door with closed eyes and a sad face as Remy walked out of the room.

-=-=-=-

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Miguel and Gambit stared at each other from across the kitchen. There was nothing left to be said; all was said and done. With a flick of his wrist, the kinetically charged card was sent from Gambit's fingers and with accuracy towards Miguel's position.


	6. Kitchen Brawl

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction: a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray a character(s) aside from or in addition to the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

-=-=-=-

Remy angrily walked away from Ororo's room, failure in his demon-like eyes as he rushed down the attic steps, the main staircase, and through the empty halls of the Institute. By now the automatic lighting had come on and the darkness of the sky no longer gave any natural light to the rooms. Needless to say, as Remy stepped into the kitchen and noticed Miguel inside, he scoffed in disgust. Looking to the man who had successfully won Ororo's heart, Remy made his way to the refrigerator.

"Red-on-black eyes," Miguel noted out loud, "You must me Remy." He stood up and walked to the refrigerator where Remy stubbornly acted as if he weren't there. Extending a hand, Miguel expected Remy to be curious like the rest of them were. It was not often they had a human in the Institute, and never had Miguel lived with mutants. He was just as curious as they were, like a child discovering the world.

"Look, _Miguel_," Gambit said, stressing Miguel's name as if he wanted to spit on it and burn the man. "Remy don play games wit people. When Remy don like you, he tell you, and Remy don like you."

"Ah, this is about Ro, right?" Miguel laughed as he turned away and walked back to where he was sitting when Remy first came in. He resumed eating his mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, dis be about my Stormy," Remy said with a canned soda in his hand as he kicked the refrigerator door closed. "I dun trust you."

"Why don't you, or anyone else for that matter, trust me?" Miguel asked, curious as he dropped his spoon into the bowl of ice cream and gave Remy a daring look.

"Y—," Remy tried to say before he was cut off by Miguel standing up.

"Aren't you the one they call Gambit on the field?" Miguel asked with antagonizing threat as he walked to the counter and now stood directly across from Remy. "You're the one who needs to be questioned on matters of trust – or so I hear when the rest of the X-Men talk. You should be more concerned with telling the truth to your own friends rather than trying to mess up with me and _my _beautiful Ororo have together, hijo."

Gambit gritted his teeth in anger they stared at each other from across the kitchen counter. There was nothing left to be said; all was said and done. With a flick of his wrist, a kinetically charged card was sent from Gambit's fingers and with accuracy towards Miguel's position. Miguel's eyes widened as the card came at him and quickly ducked under the counter. The card exploded behind his head as it crashed into the table where he had been previously sitting. The sprinkler system immediately came on in the kitchen as the table burst into flames.

With Gambit preoccupied by the flames Miguel made his move. Pressing his palms on the countertop he pressed his body upward and flipped over the entire counter and pressed his feet into Gambit's body armor, sending the mutant flying backward onto the floor. Before Miguel could even settle on his feet again, a kinetically charged soda can hit the ceiling above his head and a whole in the ceiling formed as the debris crashed onto his body.

"C'mon tough guy," Gambit said as he stood up with anger raging in his hands, which shook violently.

Miguel grunted as he fought the debris off his back and stood up, soaking wet with the sprinkler system still pouring water into the kitchen causing the floor to flood. "Wimp!" Miguel shouted as he finally stood up, clothes tattered but not many cuts or bruises. His brown eyes squinted at Remy's tall stature before he jumped into the air and sent a roundhouse kick to the Cajun's jaw.

Gambit quickly reacted by grabbing Miguel's foot and twisting the human's leg before thrusting him into the counter. Miguel, forced at the counter, placed his hands on the surface before crashing, and supported himself on a handstand before landing on the water-covered floor again. Miguel looked down and kicked open one of the cabinets under the counter. He bent down and quickly threw numerous pots and pans at Gambit who dodged them but could not see pass them as they came at him ruthlessly. Then, once again taking this preoccupation to his advantage, Miguel ran up to Remy and sent a nasty punch into the bridge of his nose and then a harsh kick the back of his knees. Gambit fell to the floor in pain and became immersed in the water as the sprinklers continued to poor out water.

Finally Gambit looked up at Miguel who breathing hard in a fighting stance with water running down his face and eyes of fury. Just by looking at the man, Gambit kinetically charged Miguel's body and was prepared to blow him up. To Miguel's advantage, Ororo finally made it to the kitchen. Noticing the charge of energy on Miguel's body, Ororo's eyes widened and her hands raised to her mouth in a gasp. She closed her eyes and focused her mutant abilities to react inside Gambit's body. As quickly as she thought it, it manifested. A small shock of electrical energy sent Gambit's brain into alarm and temporary stasis, removing charge from Miguel's body and putting Gambit to sleep.

"Miguel! What has happened here?" Ororo asked as her eyes opened and the sprinkler turned off.

"I would also like to know the answer to this question," Xavier noted as his wheelchair rolled behind Ororo and he looked at the kitchen, which was now in full disarray.

-=-=-

"The Professor has permitted you to stay here for tonight, but has stressed your departure tomorrow morning," Ororo said as she walked out onto the balcony where Miguel was standing.

"I guess one night is better than none," Miguel said, lifelessly. He then turned around and his voice became filled with emotion, 

"Look Tormenta, Remy and I got out of hand. I'm sure things would've worked out, with my staying her, if we hadn't provoked each other in that kitchen."

"Charles is also requesting that you make monetary or labor payments to help repair the kitchen to its original condition," Ororo noted.

"He'll get the money," Miguel said, turning back to the railing and placing his hands on it.

"Miguel," Ororo said, her voice changing into that of fright. "Will you stay with me in my room tonight? I am worried that my assailants are coming closer and closer to getting me."

"Sure I will," Miguel said as he turned around and opened his muscular arms to Ororo's shivering body. "But can you answer me a question?"

Ororo wrapped herself in his arms and laid her head on his chest, "Yes."

"How can someone that controls the weather be scared of _anything_?" he asked, honestly not understanding how she could be frightened.

"It amazes me as well," Ororo said. "I control the very elements of nature! Yet, I am frightened of someone who probably cannot match my abilities – very few can. But it is more than the physical threat."

"Then what is it?"

"My mind… my emotions are fragile. My assailants began their assault by attacking my mind with angry words and threats. My past is not spotless. I have become so paranoid that I have frightened myself, actually," Ororo explained and a few things finally came into the light, even for her.

"Then why be scared? You know the truth of what's plaguing you. You shouldn't be worried," he says, looking down onto her white hair as he rubs her back gently.

"Stay with me, please," Ororo said, wrapping her arms around Miguel's torso.

"Of course," Miguel whispered as the wind began to rustle with more speed and the loose, white strands of Ororo wiped across his face like silk. There they stood on the balcony, two shadowed figures against the lights of the Xavier's Institute.

-=-=-=-

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"I've got you right where I want you, Windrider!" a woman said as she came from under the shadows and her face was finally revealed.

"It was you!" Storm yelled in shock. "How? Why?"

"I've always hated you!" she yelled. "I said it before, and I'll say it again: As leader of the Morlocks, you let me down… let all of us down! Look at what your weakness created. You held my life in your hands, bright lady, and you destroyed it!"


	7. The Epiphany

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction: a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray a character(s) aside from or in addition to the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

Author's Note(s): Thanks for the reviews. If there are any misspellings you find in quotations when Remy speaks they are most likely done on purpose. Those misspellings are an attempt to exhibit his accent through the text.

-=-=-=-

          "I shall await your call," Ororo said as she hugged Miguel. The taxi driver honked the car horn again as he waited for Miguel. Thick clouds darkened the sky and the ground covered in fog. The morning had begun with a warning for extreme weather over the northeastern United States. Instead of disrupting the weather patterns, Ororo figured she would let it ride out on its own.

          After Miguel walked away Ororo's blue eyes watched until the cab drove out of the exterior entrance of the Institute and the iron gates closed. "It is truly a terrible morning. I pray you make it home safely," Ororo said to herself, looking up to the dark clouds, which threatened a downpour at any given moment.

          "It's not that bad of a morning," Jean Grey noted as she joined Ororo on the porch of the Institute. Her green eyes studied Ororo for a moment before continuing, "Sister, are you alright? For the last couple of days you've been walking around with a shade of melancholy."

          "You are correct in assuming that I am not alright," Ororo said, running her fingers through the fine strands of her silvery-white hair. "However, I shall be fine. I just have a few problems that I need to work through."

          "Is there anything I could do to help you?" Jean asked.

          "I will work through this," Ororo said, reassuring Jean that she would be all right. At least Jean wasn't as prideful or as forceful with her concern as Remy was. Jean and Ororo shared an embrace before separating. "Jean, can you do me a favor?"

          "Sure," Jean replied, thinking perhaps she had gotten Ororo to open up to her.

          "Tell the Professor I shall be going out for a little while and will most likely miss today's scheduled training session."

          "No problem," Jean said, looking to Ororo with questions running through her mind. "But where are you going?"

          "Just… out," Ororo said before raising her arms in the air and accelerating into flight on the high winds.

          Jean, after being knocked back a bit by the winds, watched Ororo's figure disappear into the dark clouds. "Hmm…" Jean said, wondering out loud before being interrupted by Xavier's mental projection.

          "I am worried about Storm," he said to Jean. "Assemble a small team of X-Men and locate her. I fear she is acting on strange impulses."

          "But Professor, it isn't like Ororo to get into trouble," Jean noted, questioning Xavier's theory.

          "There may be someone else involved in Ororo's decision making, which would explain why neither you or I can probe her mind," Xavier said before his mental image disappeared.

          "Maybe he's right…" Jean said as she reentered the Institute.

-=-=-

          Ororo breathed heavily as she entered the secluded and abandoned darkness of the Morlock Tunnels. This network of tunnels, built under New York City, had been constructed as a possible refuge for citizens to flee to if the city had come under attacks during World War II and especially after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Now it was abandoned as a home to rodents and to a group of deformed mutants who called themselves the Morlocks.

In a battle to save the life of a former X-Man, Ororo defeated the Morlock's leader Callisto by stabbing her in the chest. Ororo saved Angel's life and was given all power and responsibility as ruler of the Morlock people. Before Gambit joined the X-Men he had become involved with Sinister and had lead the Marauders into the Morlock Tunnels and all were presumed dead except Marrow, the one he saved. It would later be revealed that more than she survived, but this genocide against the Morlocks was fully blamed on Ororo for not being there to protect them.

Ororo had her reasons for not being there. Her claustrophobia overwhelmed her and even being in the dark, enclosed tunnels now was a pressure for her. She hovered over the damp, murky concrete floors of the tunnels until she felt a deep kick on her spine. She fell out of the air and onto the floor, her shoulder bruised in the process.

"What business do you have in the Morlock Tunnels?" a voice came from the shadows, followed by several cryptic whispers that echoed throughout.

Ororo immediately enshrouded her body in lightning and the entire area lit up with light, "You had better not try such an attack again."

"Oh, it is our fearless leader," one mutant said sarcastically as the mutants began to mumble in disinterest while others gawked in curiosity as to why Storm had come to visit them.

"Leech control powers now!" a little green mutant said as he ran Ororo's side in excitement. He appreciated her, not yet being influenced by the foul words of the older Morlocks who had grown to despise her.

"That is quite an accomplishment child," Ororo said as she lifted Leech in her arms, after stopping the lightning that once surrounded her body. "Is Callisto here?"

"Yes, Leech show you!" he said as he jumped out of her arms, grabbed her finger, and began running to where Callisto was.

"Thank you, Leech," Ororo smiled as she approached Callisto and Leech disappeared into the darkness of the tunnels.

"Why are you here, Windrider?" Callisto asked with spite, "Are you here for your annual Christmas charity? Is it that time of year already?"

"I do not know why I am here any more than you do," Ororo answered with authority.

"You should not have come, they will get you for sure now!" Callisto warns as her body begins to tremble. "Why couldn't you just stay put at your mansion? You've put yourself in danger X-Woman!"

"What are you babbling about, Callisto?" Ororo asks, confused.

"I've got you right where I want you, Windrider!" a woman said as she came from under the shadows and her face was finally revealed.

"It was you!" Storm yelled in shock as Marrow's deformed body came into view under the dim lights of the tunnels. "How? Why?"

"I've always hated you!" she yelled. "I said it before, and I'll say it again: As leader of the Morlocks, you let me down… let all of us down! Look at what your weakness created. You held my life in your hands, bright lady, and you destroyed it!"

"I do not care what your hatred for me stands upon! How were you able to attack my mind?" Ororo asked, confused.

"You don't need to worry about that, Weather Witch!" Marrow yelled with eyes filled with fury before bones began to poke out of her skin.

"Marrow! Calm yourself!" Callisto commanded, "Storm is your leader and you're still required to respect her as much as you respect me!"

"Callisto, stand down," Ororo said as she held out her hand to silence Callisto's instructions. "If Marrow wishes to learn another lesson in daring to challenge me, then I am more than willing to teach her!"

Marrow screamed as she jumped into the air and pulled out her protruding bones in the process. She came out of the air attempting to swipe Ororo across the face with the sharp bones in each of her hands, but Ororo quickly grabbed Marrow's wrists and subdued the mutant by twisting her arms around her back. Ororo spoke lightly in Marrow's ears with an odd amount of spite, "You had better be ready for what you have put yourself into."

"I'm ready," Marrow answered with equal spite as a sharp bone shot out of her back and pierced Ororo's stomach. The Windrider stumbled backwards, releasing Marrow, as she put her caramel hands to her stomach. Pulling the bone out of her abdomen, Ororo's hands became doused with a pool of blood. Meeting Marrow's smiling face with her angry blue eyes, Ororo snarled and continued to hold her bleeding abdominal.

"But are you ready, Ororo?" Marrow laughed as more bones began to protrude from her skin and once again she ran towards Ororo in a ruthless offensive attack.

-=-=-

          "Who are you?" Xavier said as his mind probed the Institute. He had been stressing his mind, trying to find out who was attacking Ororo's mind. He could hear the mental whispering that was going on, he could recognize the threats on Ororo's life being echoed throughout the mental realm, not as deep as the astral plane, but close enough.

          "Xavier, you are stepping into forbidden territory," a voice spoke through telepathic means before a powerful psychic bolt disrupted Xavier's brain and the leader fell out of his wheelchair with spasms. "Now to get rid of Jean Grey. I won't need any psychic interference when I'm ready for the Beautiful Windrider," the voice said before silence filled the mental realm.

-=-=-=-

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          "Miguel?" Logan growled as his claws popped under the dim lights of the Morlock Tunnels. "You got two seconds to explain what yer doin here, bub."

          "Remy told you he couldn't be trusted!" Gambit barked as he charged a card with biokinetic energy. "He's the one attacking Stormy's mind! He's no human – he's a mutant!"


	8. Free Fall

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction; a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray character(s) aside from the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

-=-=-=-

Marrow growled as she threw a sharpened bone from her skin towards Storm's defensive position. Storm didn't move an inch, for Marrow posed little threat to her. The sharpened bone was simply knocked off course by a gust of wind and fell on the ground. Marrow growled again before running towards Storm with two more sharpened bones in her hands, ready to slice the caramel skin of the weather-controlling mutant.

Storm, once again, stood without motion, as a harsh gust of wind knocked Marrow backwards into a wall and pinned her there, paralyzing the angry Morlock. "I would rather not have to get violent with you Marrow," Storm said, her blue eyes now completely white and sparkling with lightning.

"Either you get rid of me now, or you watch your back for the rest of your pathetic life!" Marrow snarled, trying to bite at Storm.

Storm ignored Marrow's threats, "I will ask you again, Marrow: how were you able to attack my mind?"

"You live at an 'institute for gifted youngsters' and get you know nothing!" Marrow yelled, still pinned down by the wind. "If I have no psychic powers how would I attack your mind? How could I subdue and convince Omega Red to attack you?"

"Then who is it?!" Storm yelled, now floating in the air, threatening Marrow to confess with lightning dancing on her fingernails.

"It doesn't matter who it is, because once he's got you, you're his forever!" Marrow cackled. "And because he knows Omega Red and I hate you for who you are, who better to employ to take you down?"

"Do not speak to me in mysteries, child!" Storm yelled, her body entirely engulfed with electrical energy.

"Figure it out!" Marrow yelled as she directed a protruding bone at Storm's hovering figure and the projectile went straight for Storm's chest.

Storm, reacting quickly, released a lightning bolt that dissolved the bone and crashed into Marrow's body, sending the mutants into spasms. The pure heat of the electricity sent the Morlocks who were watching, running away as their skin became singed with the hot air. Static raised the ends of Storm's hair as the lightning bolt continued to crush Marrow's body against the wall and thunder accompanied her wrath.

She could no longer control herself. She was remembering all the mental battles and struggles she had been through for the past few days. If Marrow thought it was okay to torture her as much, then she would endure the same treatment.

"Storm, stop!" Callisto yelled, turning around long enough to endure the heat. "You're killing her!"

Storm stopped the lightning and thunder within the tunnels and landed on the ground. "I have not killed her," Storm said, walking to Marrow with anger spelled out across her face. "Marrow has not even felt a single percentage of what my power can do. She will live, but she will think twice before ever attempting an attack against me again. Now Callisto, I want answers! You will tell me what I need to know or you will get worse treatment than Marrow!"

Callisto's eyes squinted in defiance as her heart raced with fear. She looked at Storm's bloody stomach-region before looking back up to her angry, white eyes.

-=-=-

"I've called in Synch and Siryn from the Generation X school," Jean said from the passenger side of the battle-armored jeep that drove a team of five X-Men into New York. Driving the jeep was Cyclops, and in the back seat were Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine.

"You really t'ink we'll need the kiddies help to beat down a couple Morlocks?" Gambit sneered, wondering why everyone was so uptight.

"This ain't no picnic Cajun," Rogue yelled in her southern accent. "Storm could really be in trouble. You done seen what she did to me in the Danger Room. If they mess with her mind again, all of New York's gonna feel what she got to offer."

"More importantly, we need to get to the bottom of this," Cyclops interjected. "We don't need someone as dangerous as Storm losing her mind."

"But she has already lost!" Jean said, although the voice from her mouth was not her own. Instead of a soprano sound coming from her vocal chords, a bass sound came from her mouth like it would from a grown man's.

"What?" the other four X-Men gasped at the sudden remark and the odd sound in Jean's voice. The green-eyed mutant, using her telekinesis, sent the jeep tumbling over. It crashed into the base of a skyscraper before flying vertically into the air. Sliding in the backseat and hitting their heads against the windows, Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine yelled, telling Jean to stop.

"Jean, what are you doing?" Scott yelled, constricted by seat belt and telekinetic force. Finally, the jeep had flown through all 80 floors of the skyscraper and was now hanging in the air over a busy intersection. Slowly the car continued to gain altitude.

"Enough!" Rogue yelled as she removed a glove and her cold hand drained Jean of her abilities and put the mutant to sleep. As soon as Rogue made contact the jeep began to fall from the sky, quickly picking up speed.

"Rogue, do something!" Cyclops yelled as he watched a clear view of the cars below them in the windshield. In a matter of seconds they would hit and all be singed and killed by the impact.

Rogue, reacting instinctively, began to use telekinetic force to push upward against the descending jeep, slowing the freefall, but also putting the ride on fire like a falling meteorite.

"What is this? A roller coaster sauna?" Wolverine said, never retiring his sarcastic remarks as sweat drenched his body and uniform. The jeep hit the ground, knocking a few cars backwards, but luckily injuring no one. The X-Men sat, breathing hard, and sweating in the burning jeep. Just then Logan's ears puckered up and he began to hear the spread of fire towards the gasoline. "Everybody, get out! This ride's gonna blow!"

The X-Men scrambled out of the jeep, Scott dragging Jean with him as they charged from the jeep. A bystander helped Cyclops carry Jean from the burning jeep just before it blew up.

On the other side of the wreckage, fire engulfed the intersection and caused many people to hide their faces and duck for cover, but Wolverine kept his eyes open. Noting someone moving into one of the Morlock Tunnel entrances, he nudged Gambit's shoulder, "I think I found our mystery-psychic. Let's go!"

-=-=-

Back on Cyclops' side of the broiled intersection, Rogue picked up Jean's fallen body. "The swamp rat and the wolf went into the tunnels after somebody," Rogue said, also picking up Scott with her super strength. "We can worry about the jeep later." Rogue took Jean, Scott, and herself into flight as they made their way into the entrance of the tunnels. The first thing they heard was Logan's voice before turning a corner to see everything as it unfolded.

"Miguel?" Logan growled as his claws popped under the dim lights of the Morlock Tunnels. "You got two seconds to explain what yer doin' her bub."

"Remy told you he couldn't be trusted!" Gambit barked as he charged a card with biokinetic energy. "He's the one attack Storm's mind! He's no human – he's a mutant!"

"How can you be so sure?" Cyclops said as he was set down by Rogue and walked between the three men.

"How else did he know how to come down here, Cyke?" Wolverine growled, "Use your brain, bub!"

"You think I actually ever left the mansion?" Miguel interrupted, explaining why he was here. "Ororo was so fragile the night before. I couldn't just leave her without knowing she was going to be all right. Then when I saw her suddenly fly away from Jean, I followed behind her on my Logan's motorcycle."

"You did what?" Logan growled, but was subdued by Cyclops' commanding hand.

"More importantly, Ah know he ain't the bad guy here," Rogue said as she hovered next to them all. "When Ah absorbed Jean's powers Ah got a piece of her mind and Miguel wasn't in there."

"Then who is it, Rogue?" Cyclops asked, getting tired of the mystery.

"For all we know, it could be the psychic talkin' through Rogue right now!" Wolverine noted as he pointed his fingers and claws towards Rogue.

"How do you expect to ever find the true villain if you cannot trust each other?" Storm asked as she hovered a few feet away from her friend. Behind her was a tunnel full of still water, ready to gush out like an overflowing dam. Her eyes were completely white and a wicked smile lied across her mouth. "Don't worry about not trusting each other, because now you know exactly where your enemy is at."

"Ororo?" Miguel said as he looked up to Storm, shivering.

"Yes, Miguel, I am your enemy," Storm said, laughing, a characteristic that is not a common trait of the Windrider. "But instead of calling me Ororo, you may call me Shadow King. After all, just because this is Storm's body doesn't mean she controls it anymore."

Rogue's eyes widened at the tunnel full of water bustling behind Storm's hovering body, "Storm, no!"

"Storm no longer responds," the Shadow King laughed from within Storm's body. "The Shadow King is in charge!" A barrier of wind surrounded Storm's hovering body, protecting her from the water as it began to charge throughout the tunnel.

"Uh oh," Logan said as the tunnel ahead of them became filled with water and the sadistic laughter of the Shadow King. "RUN!"

-=-=-=-

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"It's a dead end!" Cyclops yelled as he tried to bust through the wall with an optic blast, but to no avail. "Rogue, can you stop the water telekinetically?"

"Ah've been trying all this time! It's too much!" Rogue shouted over the thunder of water. "Gambit!" she yelled as her green eyes widened at the sight of Gambit being engulfed by the water. The rest of them were next.


	9. Onslaught Initiated

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction: a fan's version of expression in which he/she wishes to portray a character(s) aside from or in addition to the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

Author's Note: Thanks to Claudia for help with Siryn's accent. :)

-=-=-=-

"Uh oh," Logan said as the tunnel ahead of them became filled with water and the sadistic laughter of the Shadow King. "Run!"

The other mutants took this as their cue and began to run in the opposite direction of the flooding water. Storm's body, inhabited by the Shadow King, remained untouched by the barrage of water that was ready to overtake the running mutants at any moment. "Finally, you are mine Ororo," the Shadow King laughed. "With your power no one can stop me!"

-=-=-

Cyclops lead the pack of running mutants, followed by Rogue who was flying with Jean's limp body in her arms. Miguel kept a steady pace under Rogue's zooming body, followed by the figure of Wolverine. Gambit, who had not started running until the water almost overtook him, was far behind.

"It's a dead end!" Cyclops yelled as he turned a corner and was met by a thick, concrete wall. He attempted to knock a hole through it with his optic blast, but to no avail.

"I thought you could punch a hole through a mountain with those eyes!" Miguel yelled as he joined the mutants with Wolverine at the dead end.

Cyclops scowled before looking to Rogue, "Rogue, can you stop the water telekinetically?"

"Ah've been tryin' all this time! That's why it ain't get us yet, but it's too much!" Rogue shouted over the thunder of water. Just as all seemed hopeless, the ceiling of the tunnels broke apart following an ear-piercing scream.

"Siryn!" Cyclops shouted with relief in his voice as Siryn and Synch hovered down into the tunnel. Rogue flew out with Jean's body while Siryn grabbed Cyclops and Synch grabbed Wolverine.

Safely on the surface, Rogue prepared to go down to get Miguel. "Gambit!" she yelled as her green eyes widened at the sight of Gambit being engulfed by the water. Miguel would be next to suffer this fate. However, despite any hatred towards Gambit or the pressure of water that was ready to take him in its grasp, Miguel ran into the wave of water as it filled the rest of the tunnel.

"Gambit!" Rogue screamed, "Miguel!"

"We've got bigger problems than that Rogue," Cyclops warned as Storm's body hovered over the X-Men.

"Why don't ye just shoot her down, lad?" Siryn asked from her standing position next to Synch as they looked up at Storm.

"That's Storm up there!" Wolverine growled, "Just cause the Shadow King's inside of her don't mean we want to hurt her!"

"As if you could hurt Ororo if you tried," sounded the Shadow King's voice from Storm's mouth. Storm's eyes were white and sparkling with lightning. The bright sky suddenly turned dark with gray clouds. "Have you any idea what she can do?"

"Look bub—," Logan began, but was immediately caught off guard as to what would happen next. Even his heightened senses couldn't have prepared him for the 60,000 miles per second and 50,000 degrees in Fahrenheit of electricity that dove from the clouds and into his chest. The lightning shook and heated the air with intensity as the bolt continuously charged into Logan's body, leaving no room or time for healing as the electricity surged onto his adamantium ribcage. From then on the charge spread across his conductive skeleton and lit the mutant from head-to-toe like a firecracker until he lay on the ground as a smoky corpse.

When recovering from the blinding light Cyclops immediately noticed the dead body of Wolverine spilling out blood and steam. "You killed him!"

"I know," the Shadow King laughed through Storm's mouth as he took flight away from the mutants who stood astonished, fearful, and angered.

Now flaring with vehemence Rogue took flight after Storm's retreating body. Apparently going for a sneak attack, Rogue thought she had the upper hand. Silently she swam through the air at full speed, gloveless. She was ready to absorb Storm's abilities and put her in a deep coma. Then, only an inch away from Storm's body, Storm quickly changed course, throwing Rogue off balance. Rogue quickly turned around and now hovered, facing Storm.

"You actually thought you would sneak up on this body?" the Shadow King laughed. "Her entire mind and body is in an intimate relationship with nature. She knows where every drop of rain is falling and feels the struggle of each motion of a torrential storm. The wind tells her when you or anyone else is coming – she will always know!"

Rogue yelled, "Ya just killed three of the most important men in Ororo's life!" She was fuming with anger, ready to rip through Storm's body just to get to the Shadow King. "If you loved _ya little Ororo _so much ya wouldn't be hurtin her or her friends like this!"

"Who said anything about loving her?" the Shadow King hissed, "All I need are her lovely powers! Now move out the way before you taste it!"

"Maybe ya haven't figured this out since the last time we met, but Ah got a whole lot more arsenal up mah sleeve, sugah!" Rogue yelled as she called on Jean's abilities. She sent psychic bolts at the Shadow King's mind.

"Fool!" the Shadow King shouted. "If Jean cannot defeat me on the astral plane, what makes you think you could even try?" The Shadow King easily deflected the mental attack and looked at Rogue with pity. "It really is a shame you have to be so vacuous!" Within a few seconds the temperature in the air dropped far below freezing and with an added vortex of wind Rogue was beat with hailstones so thick that visibility in the air was impossible. The icy edges scraped at her clothing and skin before the skunk-head was forced to retreat in pain. Watching with Storm's cat-like eyes, the Shadow King kept note of where Rogue landed on the icy ground. With another vortex of wind a building was skyscraper fell over, crumbling above Rogue's head and covering the wounded mutant.

When the air cleared of hailstones, two fires blazed in the city and the sudden icy roads had caused several accidents. Synch had created a forcefield by synchronizing with Jean's telekinetic abilities to protect Jean, Siryn, Cyclops, and himself. Synch pointed to the rubble where Rogue's body was. They hadn't been able to see what happened after the hailstones began to fall, but with his aura Synch was able to detect the location of Rogue's live body. "She's under the rubble," Synch said before taking flight towards Storm's flying body. She was heading out of the city.

"No lad," Siryn said as she grabbed Synch's arm to stop him from flying away. "I take care 'o the Weather Witch, she is nae a problem. Ya help Cyke ta get Rogue out from under that rubble."

"If you say so," Synch said as he changed his direction and grabbed Cyclops for a quick flight to Rogue's fallen body.

-=-=-

An ear-piercing scream sent vibrations through the air and knocked Storm's body off course as Siryn readied herself for a quick battle. Storm's body turned to face Siryn with annoyed eyes. "Child, I do not have the time for games!"

"Ye may have been able ta knock Rogue out of the sky, ye cocky witch, but ye can't fight me!" Siryn yelled, red hair flaring behind her as her voice sent out even more ear-piercing screams that felt like punches against Storm's body. Finally, entirely disoriented, Storm was knocked out of the sky by a louder scream from Siryn's multiple vocal chords. She landed on the roof of a skyscraper, sprawled out on her back.

Siryn was taking no chances; it was not necessary for Storm to survive if the Shadow King was going to wreak devastation through her body. "I'm sorry lass, but this is the way it has ta be!" Another sonic wave, more powerful than the others, were sent vertically downward towards the skyscraper that Storm helplessly laid upon.

The structure of the building was torn apart in one quick blast as glass shards flew in every direction and the building, another landmark of the New York City skyline, fell towards its fate on the concrete ground below. Nothing but screams and the sound of creaking metal could be heard above the faint sound of roaring fires, sirens, and falling glass. Dust and smoke filled the air with a black thickness as all went still high in the sky.

"I'm sorry, but I had to do it, me lass," Siryn said sadly as she hovered in the air.

"Sorry for what?" came the Shadow King's voice as Storm's body rose out of the smoke. Covered and protected by a circular motion of wind, Storm's body remained untouched by the debris.

"What? Ye couldn't have survived that!" Siryn shouted as she breathed in deeply to prepare for another attack. By now the Shadow King had caught on, and instead of waiting for this next attack to succeed, he continued to force air into Siryn's throat and into her lungs, increasing the pressure and muting the loud-mouthed woman. The pressure became too much with the incoming oxygen and the carbon dioxide that the body was attempting to expel, Siryn fell from the sky, unconscious.

The Shadow King inspected Storm's body. Minor injuries had came from the initial sonic waves, but nothing devastating – at least not as devastating as his attacks on the X-Men had been. He snickered with success. "I might as well take care of the rest of them now," he smiles as a tempestuous storm hangs on the horizon.

-=-=-=-

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"Cyclops, see if you can hold him off!" Synch yells as he leaves Scott standing alone at the mercy of the Shadow King who is ready to slaughter him with Storm's powers.

"Gladly!" Cyclops yells with anger as he rips off his visor and an unbelievable amount of energy is released from his uninhibited eyes.


	10. Retaliation

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is a fan fiction: a fan's version of expression in which he or she wishes to portray a character(s) aside from or in addition to the creator's original concepts and/or ideas.

Author's Notes: My apologies for the growing gap in updates; I have been writing things for another site, but I will try my best to get this story finished painlessly.

-=-=-=-

Siryn would have died if she did not land on the trampoline the NYFD had prepared. Synch and Cyclops were too preoccupied with counterattacking the Shadow King to even try and help Siryn. "Everett, are you ready?" Cyclops asked Synch as Storm's body began to lose altitude to face the two face-to-face.

Synch's rainbow-like aura began to glow around his body, illuminating his Generation X costume. "Wait..." Everett said, as if his mind were somewhere else. His brown eyes looked over to Cyclops with a dazed look. "Cyclops see if you can hold _him _off," he yelled before he quickly left Scott's side, leaving him at the mercy of the Shadow King who was more than willing to slaughter him with Storm's abilities.

As Synch disappeared from the scene, the Shadow King began to laugh. Jean's unconscious body and what was left of Wolverine's body was a sight of humor for him. Even though Synch wasn't there, Cyclops answered his question. "Gladly!" he yelled, infuriated with the Shadow King's laughter. He ripped off his visor and released an unbelievable amount of energy from his uninhibited eyes. The blast was too large too dodge, but the Shadow King was more than willing to use Storm's hurricane like winds to outrun it.

As the optic blast moved towards the altitude where Storm's body hovered, the Shadow King gained an enormous amount of acceleration and speed as Storm's body flew at sub-sonic speeds. The optic blast was hot on her tail, but it was running out of intensity. Soon enough the optic energy had chased the Shadow King clear out of the Earth's atmosphere. However, with a collection of water droplets at her calling, the Shadow King was able to use Storm's lightning to perform electrolysis, splitting the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen and breathing the oxygen until her body entered the Earth's atmosphere once more.

Spotting Cyclop's body, using Storm's cat-like eyes once again, the Shadow King frowned. Was he that willing to get rid of Storm just because of _Jean_? If that was the case, then he would be more willing to get rid of Cyclops for his treachery. "You are not worth the air in your lungs," the Shadow King mumbled as he began to take in a deep breath while he crossed Ororo's arms. The deep breath he was taking in was not just for fun. He was purposely taking the air of Cyclops' lungs. He could see from his high altitude, Cyclops fall on his knees and bang on the ground as he pleaded for air. "What?!" the Shadow King yelled as he noticed a kinetically charged card hovering in front of him. He spotted Miguel, Gambit, and Synch below. Synch had telekinetically lifted the card to the altitude while the Shadow King was preoccupied with Cyclops – and the card was ready to blow at Gambit's will.

With a blink of his eyes, Gambit released the energy in the card and explosion filled the air, knocking Storm's body from the sky and allowing Cyclops to breathe, although now unconscious. Just then, Rogue was freed by the fire department from the rubble, with blood spilling out of her body in pools. But as if it were preordained, the Blackbird landed in the midst of the battlefield and Beast stepped out. Gambit ran towards the Blackbird, "De Calvary finally arrived, eh mon ami?"

"I am afraid there is no one but me aboard," Hank said as he came out with his medical equipment. "I found the Professor mentally traumatized at the mansion and immediately assisted him with medical care. This event sparked my curiosity so I checked the news and noticed the maelstrom. I knew for sure that the X-Men had some part in this. I will be unable to assist you in battling Storm; I have no weapons to battle the elements, much less our resident Windrider. But I will attend to our wounded."

"Danks for de speech," Gambit said as Synch and Miguel approached with Cyclops, Jean, and Rogue being carried between them.

"My stars and garters!" Hank shouted in surprise and fear, "Is that Logan?"

"He's gone, Dr. McCoy," Synch said as he laid Rogue and Cyclops in the jet.

"Has Storm gone mad?" Hank asked, still not aware of the entire situation. All he noticed was the roaring tornado coming their way and the heated Windrider ready to rip the entire city apart.

"She's not herself," Gambit noted in his thick Cajun accent as he readily charged a card. "The Shadow King got her mind! He controllin her."

"No!" Synch said, finally taking a leadership role. "Put the card away. You can't fight her – nobody so far has had the skill, but I can! I can copy her powers and the Shadow King's without even touching them. And unlike Rogue, I can handle Storm's powers!"

"You're gonna get yourself killed, cabrito," Miguel said to Synch as he looked up with watchful brown eyes of the approaching tornado. It was gaining speed and power as the city began to turn upside down at its fury.

"Just get in the jet!" Synch was now yelling over the strong winds and the thunderous sound of the moving funnel. "Storm may be the most powerful X-Man, but I'm the most powerful mutant – period!"

Gambit refused to be ordered around, but he had no choice. Synch telekinetically forced Beast, Gambit, and Miguel into the Blackbird and sealed the exit. His body surrounded itself with a colorful aura as it copied Storm's genetic information and copied her abilities.

-=-=-

The Astral Plane is a place where only the greatest telepaths can go. It was an abstract world where the power of the mind is the greatest power. If the mind is destroyed or held captive in this universe, then the physical body is crippled, paralyzed, or worse – destroyed. This is where the Shadow King banished the minds of Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey. He wanted to make sure they would not attack him after he completely controlled Ororo.

The astral projections of Jean and Professor Xavier's bodies were held captive in this world. In barred cages they floated towards a form similar to a black hole. If they reached that hole they would never be able to live in the physical world. Their bodies would be destroyed and their minds emptied into nothingness. "Professor, we must get out!" Jean screamed as she tried to break open the prison with her mental abilities.

"I should have known it was the Shadow King!" the Professor yelled while he created the mental projection of a fire-containing weapon. Hopefully, somehow they would be able to get back to their physical bodies. "He has been trying to get Ororo's powers for years!"

"How did he escape? Didn't you have him trapped here?" Jean asked, as she pried at the bars. "Is it possible that he could escape on his own?"

"It's very possible," the Professor said. "There are so many psychics who travel the astral plane – so many weak psychics whom the Shadow King could trick or lie to. He could have used them to escape and then trapped them where I once had him."

"It's hopeless, Professor!" Jean said as she finally gave up. She sat on the floor of her floating prison and tears began to fall from her green eyes. "We can't escape from here. There's no one left to help us!"

"Do not lose heart," the Professor said in his comforting father-like voice and tone. "Have faith."

-=-=-

The tornado that once whirled through the city began to dissipate, to the Shadow King's surprise. He turned around, noticing the black funnel lose strength. Cars and buildings dropped to the ground and the sky began to show its bright blue face as the dark clouds disappeared. "What sorcery is this?" the Shadow King question through Storm's lips.

"No sorcery," Synch smiled, "Just mutant charm!" He hovered in the air before Storm's possessed body.

"You'll regret those words, child!" the Shadow King yelled as a lightning bolt flew out of Storm's hands and into Synch's body.

Synch, like Storm, could channel the electric charge through his body like a living lightning rod, and so he did; unharmed. He smiled and his brown eyes glistened with youthfulness as he returned the attack at Storm's body. They both remained unharmed by the lightning. "Anything you can do, I can do – and much better, if I may brag about it!" Synch said, amused.

"Take this!" the Shadow King yelled as Storm's right hand was pointed at Synch. Nothing was happening, nothing at all. The Shadow King was attempting to freeze Synch's body from the inside out.

"I have the same mechanism Storm has," Synch smiled even wider. "Immunity to extreme heat and cold. Don't you just love her power?"

"You sour ingrate!" Storm's body flew at Synch as a deadly kick from Storm's boots hit his cheekbone, causing blood to spill from the side of his mouth. Synch immediately looked back at Storm with a frown as her fist flew towards his ribcage. Synch caught the fist with his hand and twisted Storm's arm around.

"Ah!" the Shadow King yelled as he felt Storm's pain.

"Give it up, Shadow King! You're outmatched and outdone!" Synch commanded.

The Shadow King growled as he silently called on his own psychic abilities. Storm's eyes closed and her body went limp as she lifelessly floated in the air. Synch immediately caught onto what was happening and became synchronized with the Shadow King's abilities, and just in time. He successfully blocked the Shadow King's incoming mental attack. Concentrating, Synch's body went limp and floated as well as he and the Shadow King finally met, face-to-face on the Astral Plane.

-=-=-=-

Next Chapter Preview:

Their psychic swords clashed on the Astral Plane. Synch and Shadow King were in a gruesome face-off for Storm's freedom. Synch skillfully counterattacked everyone one of the Shadow King's moves as if he had been a psychic all his life. Reading the Shadow King's thoughts and planned attacks made the fight that much easier. "Maybe you didn't notice: but I don't _just _copy your powers, I can use them even better than you can!" Everett yelled as he knocked the Shadow King's sword from his grip.

"Kill me and you'll kill Storm!" the Shadow King smiled as Everett raised sword up to his neck. "Her mind is connected with mine, and when my mind is destroyed, so is hers. There is no way you can win – not matter how smart you are," the Shadow King cackled as he reveled in his victory.


	11. Enough is Enough

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. This is fan fiction: a fan's version of expression in which he or she whishes to portray a character(s) aside from or in addition to the creator's original concept and\or ideas.

-=-=-=-

"I thought for sure Siryn landed on the Fire Department's trampoline, now you're telling me she collided with a dead body on the ground?" Beast asked Gambit as he hastily worked to patch up his injured friends.

"She could have bounced off of the trampoline and landed on a dead body," Miguel interjected. "At the velocity she was falling, I think that's a pretty possible conclusion."

"Who would have ever thought Storm was capable of such havoc?" Beast asked as he took a moment to rest and breathe.

Miguel spoke again, still looking out the jet's windows at Storm and Synch's hovering bodies, "What kind of question is that?"

"She only control de weather," Gambit explained for Miguel. "She should not be able to take de whole team down."

"What do you mean she _only _controls the weather?" Miguel asked. "Have you people lived with this woman so long that you've gotten used to her? I mean come on now... she CONTROLS the weather! What _can't _she do?"

"She is simply able to manipulate the atmosphere," Beast noted, pushing his glasses further back on his face.

"Maybe that's why you're whole team failed," Miguel said, almost laughing. "You underestimate her and you get yourself in trouble."

"I would never challenge her," Beast said, returning back to his work. "It is a simple fact that those who are able to produce long-range attacks have a much higher advantage over those with short range attacks." He took a breath before returning back to his original topic. "I would imagine that Storm is not as powerful as she seems. Perhaps it is not that she holds more power than anyone else on this team, but she simply has a more deadly, more spanned, and more accurate arsenal at her beckon and call."

"Would you like to _test_ her arsenal?" Miguel teased Beast. Miguel stands up from his window seat and walks back to the infirm bed where Siryn, Rogue, and Cyclops laid in intensive care. Wolverine had died before he even had a chance. "They _test_ed her... and failed miserably."

"Point taken," Beast said as he shoved Miguel to the side. "Now if you will excuse me, I must return to my work."

"Why you be defendin' Stormy like dat... like you know about mutants?" Gambit asked Miguel as he returned to his window seat.

"Because you all take her for nothing but a lightning show," Miguel said with attitude. "And there's plenty of proof all over this destroyed city that she's more than that. She doesn't deserve to be treated any less than she is."

"What does dat have to do wit' anyt'ing?" Gambit questioned, standing up and stretching.

"You're telling me all the time she was shivering in fear at night and becoming even more of an introvert than normal throughout the day went unnoticed?" Miguel asked. "All the crazy stuff she was going through before the Shadow King showed himself was just ignored?"

"How we supposed to know?" Gambit asked, now with anger in his voice. "She dun tell us not'ing, we don't pry! Gambit got secrets he dun want to tell, he figure everybody else got d'eirs too."

"You know what," Miguel said, as if a lightning bulb had just turned on in his mind. "You're all trying to get Storm to notice that she's not a goddess by treating her normal, that you forget that she is normal – so you hardly speak to her, and when you do its probably on a mission or just a casual conversation."

"What would you prefer we speak to her about?" Beast asked, now curious. "She is not the simplest person to maintain a conversation with."

"Believe me, she is," Miguel noted as he looked back out the jet's window. "Gambit's the only one who can really talk to her now, because he talked to her when she was in her _child form_." He turned to face Gambit; "I think sometimes you still see her as that little child."

"And?" Gambit asked.

"That's the easiest place to talk to her," Miguel smiled. "She's not _just _Storm. She's also _Ororo_, and when you talk to her about her past – she becomes Ororo again and you can talk to her about anything. When you can stop calling her _Storm _all the time, you can finally let go of the mutant powers and see a person – not a goddess, not a Windrider, but the person."

-=-=-

 _On the Astral Plane..._

The Shadow King drew his psychic sword and Synch followed suit. They each watched each other's every move, never taking a moment to fall prey to a surprise attack. The tension that danced between their eyes heated the mental struggle. The Shadow King moved stealthily in front of Synch's body, and then suddenly, like a snake, he snapped and his sword was forced towards Synch's chest.

Synch backed away and blocked the Shadow King's sword with his own. For the next few blows, they each countered each other, and all that was heard was an endless echo of grunts and clashes.

-=-=-

_Imprisoned on the Astral Plane..._

"Everett!" Professor Xavier shouted across the abstract world. His cold blue eyes looked into the darkness. He could sense Synch in the astral plane accompanied by an unexpected amount of strength.

"Professor?" Synch questioned from what seemed like a far distance.

"Everett!" Jean yelled, almost screamed, hoping that he was the savior that would rescue her and the Professor from their prisons. "Help us! The Shadow King has us trapped!"

"Jean... do you feel the rifts?" the Professor asked. "He is battling the Shadow King!" he yelled as he finally figured out what was going on.

"Can he possibly win?" Jean asked.

"Let's pray he does."

-=-=-

Their psychic swords clashed on the Astral Plane. Synch and the Shadow King were in a gruesome face-off for Storm's freedom. Synch skillfully counterattacked everyone one of the Shadow King's moves as if he had been a psychic all his life. Reading the Shadow King's thoughts and planned attacks made the fight that much easier. "Maybe you didn't notice: but I don't _just _copy your powers, I can use them even better than you can!" Everett yelled as he knocked the Shadow King's sword from his grip.

"Kill me and you'll kill Storm!" the Shadow King smiled as Everett raised his sword up to his neck. "Her mind is connected with mine, and when my mind is destroyed, so is hers. There is no way you can win – no matter how smart you are," the Shadow King cackled as he reveled in his victory. "You don't believe me?" he laughed. "See for yourself: her memories are mine."

_The sky was blue and sunny, devoid of all clouds. Below was the bustling city of Cairo, Egypt. Merchants were on every free space available and people dressed in traveling clothes browsed through the many objects to be bought. Although the country was at war, there was no sign of fear or hostility on the ground below as people smiled at each other, bought food, and held casual conversations._

_Above the dusty streets below, N'Dare Munroe played with her daughter, Ororo. David Munroe, her father, was busy working on a news article that he was to be submitting to the New York Times back home in the United States. At first, he was very cautious to bring his family over into the war zone from the United States, but everything seemed fine except for a few skirmishes on the borders of the city. He was glad he had brought his wife and daughter with him. He was lonely without them, especially the smile his daughter gave him when he picked her up. Her blue eyes smiled with radiance and her white hair danced, as he would spin her around. But he had been working so hard since their arrival that he hadn't much time to play with her. He made up in his mind, though; after he finished that article he would finally have time for his daughter._

_In the Living Room of the high-rise apartment, N'Dare now did little Ororo's hair. Ororo was about five years old, a free spirit. "Mommy, are you making my hair pretty?" she asked as she looked out the glassless windows of the apartment._

_"Your hair is already pretty darling," her mom said, her African accent very strong and her English sometimes broken but understandable. "You are a very special girl, Ororo."_

_"How mommy?" Ororo asked, curious. She asked a lot of questions at this age, as do most five year olds. She was done being a baby, discovering the world with her mouth. She was now growing up and discovering the world with questions and answers._

_"Well, you have white hair and blue eyes," N'Dare smiled as she combed through Ororo's hair. "Most Africans don't have those things. You come from a very different ancestry: a family of priestesses. Every priestess has had special powers, and because you look like they did, you will have them too, one day."_

_"What type of powers?" Ororo asked, now excited._

_"Magical powers," N'Dare said before tickling Ororo's ribs. Ororo laughed as she fell out of her chair and softly hit the floor. N'Dare continued to tickle her, joining her daughter in the laughter._

_Soon David entered the room and N'Dare looked up, still smiling as Ororo giggled. "Did we bother you and your work, dear?" N'Dare asked._

_"No, of course not," David said as he bent down to kiss N'Dare's cheek. He then picked up Ororo and kissed her. Just then David caught a big explosion in the air out of the corner of his eye. An anti-aircraft missile had been fired by the Egyptian military and the plane was falling from the sky, quickly._

_"N'Dare, get away from the window!" David yelled as he grabbed his wife's hand and carried Ororo in his arms. Ororo had never seen her dad this hasty and began to cry even though she didn't know what was going on._

_Outside screams were heard and fires roared as debris from the aircraft fell down, but the debris was nothing compared to what happened next. The entire plane flew into the apartment building where Ororo and her family were residing. The high-rise began to shake and vibrate. David fell to the floor with Ororo in his arms. N'Dare quickly fell as well. The ceiling began to collapse under the pressure of the plane, the lost support from the walls, and the fire, which was overtaking the floors above them._

_"Ororo, run!" David yelled as he forced his daughter out of his arms. He pushed her away as he tried to help N'Dare up, but it was too late. The ceiling, furniture, and large pieces of the fallen plane fell on David and his wife. Little Ororo turned around just in time to see her parents buried. She ran back for them, screaming crying. Before she reached them, she too was buried. Because her body was small, the debris did not crush her, which was now a large, heavy tent around her body. She would be in this dark, narrow space for days to come. She could only see outside of the debris that covered her through one hole, and that hole showed her a scene that would be in her nightmares for years to come: her parents, laying together, dead with blood seeping from under the dust and rubble._

Synch's astral body shivered as Ororo's memory vanished. He still held his sword to the Shadow King's neck. The feeling, the stench, and the burning that accompanied this memory were unbearable. "Why did you show me that? What was the point?!" Synched yelled, demanding an answer from the Shadow King.

"It was to prove that Ororo and I are now one in the same!" he chuckled. "I have completely assimilated her mind, her memories, her attributes. If you destroy me, you destroy her. Where do your loyalties lie? Would you sacrifice the life of the innocent just to get to the villain? Can you live with that?"

"Everett he is lying!" the Professor shouted through the Astral Plane. "He and Ororo are not one in the same. He may be able to memorize her past, but he cannot be _her._"

"Believe Xavier and sacrifice her life!" the Shadow King taunted.

"NO!" Everett shouted, "This battle ends now!" A rift of psychic energy ran through the Astral Plane, creating a vortex that resembled a black hole. As it pulled the Shadow King inward he struggled to get away from it, but to no avail.

"You can't do this to me!" the Shadow King yelled, "She is mine! Her power is mine!" The Astral Plane went completely silent as the Shadow King was pulled into the vortex and it disappeared completely.

"Let me out, please," Ororo's voice whimpered through the Astral Plane. Her voice sounded weak and frail. Jean and Xavier were finally let out of their prison cells with the Shadow King's absence. Jean, Xavier, and Synch joined together in the search for Ororo's captive mind.

When they finally found her, her mental project was floating lifelessly. "Is she...?" Jean asked, looking at her sister with worry in her eyes.

"No, she is alive," Xavier said as he held her mental body. "We must simply get her mind back to her body." This task was the easiest of them all. After Ororo was returned to her body, the other three effortlessly returned to their own.

-=-=-

Ororo opened her blue eyes, her body enshrouded with lightning and the sky growing dark. She soon grunted with exhaustion and her body plummeted to the ground. Synch, who had been hovering all this time, fell in exhaustion as well. Jean telekinetically carried the two into the jet where they rested. Miguel sat at Ororo's side, holding her hand as the jet engines began to roar.

"Do not be alarmed, Miguel," a telepathic message came from Xavier to Miguel's mind. "Ororo will be fine. She has been through quite a lot. When she awakens, she may need your help. I request that you stay with us at the mansion, one more night."

Miguel answered, "Of course." He then looked to Ororo, remembering a conversation they had over the phone once before.

_"You know you don't have to feel lonely," he began, the compassion in his voice evident. He soon noticed the passionate side of him showing and covered it up with something more masculine, "I mean after all, a beautiful woman like you shouldn't really have a hard time finding a date." _

_"Finding a date is not a problem," she answered with another sigh. The sighs were becoming, more-or-less, a part of the communication itself. "Finding someone I would want to be with is most definitely the problem." _

_"What's wrong with me?" Miguel said, smiling on the other side of the phone line. _

_"I am a mutant..." Ororo quickly answered with no caution of thought, "And you are a normal human." _

_"So? It's not like you're a different species or something. And beautiful people deserve to give each other the chance." _

_"So you think you are beautiful?" Ororo laughed. _

_"Some things are just undeniable," Miguel answered slyly._

-=-=-=-

Next Chapter Preview:

Ororo stood, dressed in black at Logan's gravesite. She had been the one, after all these years, to take his life. She felt miserable and guilty. How could she now stay with the X-Men after this? She closed her eyes to stop the tears. It had been years since Ororo cried, but now it felt like it was time once more.


	12. The Love of the Tribe

Title: Stormy Forecast

Author: Viral

Author's Notes: Presumably, the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who has faithfully read and reviewed throughout this entire story. It's taken over five months, but it's done! Aren't you happy? But with all earnestness, I thank you and am so glad that you deemed the story good enough to "donate" time from your life reading what I've written.

-=-=-=-

Dark clouds and a mournful atmosphere accompanied Logan's funeral on a chilly Saturday morning. Just about everyone he had ever come in contact with was there, which made for a large crowd. The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, X-Factor, the remnant of the Morlocks, and even the Acolytes had shown up. Despite the fact that they were sworn enemies with the X-Men, the _evil _mutants were still very much human, and a tragic death was to be mourned respectfully.

Ororo stood by Miguel's side as a soloist rendered a selection. The actual funeral service and viewing were done and over with, not it was time to bury him. Logan had stayed alive for years, decades, perhaps even close to a millennium. After countless battles against Sabretooth, Magneto, Unus, and even Apocalypse, Ororo had been the one to finally take him down. She had been the one, after all these years, to take his life. Misery and guilt found sanctuary on her countenance as thoughts of sadness and the days ahead filled her mind. How would she be able to stay with her family after this? Would it be possible for them to live and love Ororo the same way without looking at her strangely? She was a murderer -- of course not by her own will, but it happened through her body and made her liable.

As she listened to the soloist's beautiful soprano tone, she held her head down. Her emotions were beginning to flare within her as her eyes heated and her nose began to get stuffy. Was it possible that Ororo Munroe, the relentless and emotionless queen, was going to cry? She closed her eyes to stop the tears. '_It has been years since I have cried,' _she deliberated to and with herself. '_No! I cannot think about my past. If I think of my past, I must remember my parents. If I think of my present, I will only be able to see Logan's lifeless body. If I attempt to predict my future, I see sadness away from my family. Is there no escape?' _She instinctively pulled herself closer to Miguel, seeking protection from herself and her thoughts. Miguel pulled her closer, his bulky bicep resting on her back as his hand pushed her closer into his chest.

When Ororo finally lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at the scene, she saw a blanket of snow covering the ground, the mansion, and umbrellas. Apparently, her immunity to the cold had kept her oblivious to the falling snow. The falling snow and lifeless wind made for a true moment of silence as Logan's coffin was finally confined to its gravesite.

Ororo's heart began to beat hard as the earth was shoveled over the immaculately designed coffin. She breathed heavily, trying to hold in the tears that threatened to pour from her eyes. She looked to the grieving face of Xavier, who caught her eye at the same time. He attempted to contact her telepathically, tried to probe her mind to see what was wrong, but she didn't want him in her head. Not at that time. She turned from his worried face to see Magneto, not dressed in a purple and red cape, but dressed in a suit and tie. Amazingly he was no longer the master of magnetism, but so very human in nature. She rested her eyes on Callisto, a woman she despised, but whom at this time, seemed perfect compared to a murderer.

_Yes, I am a murderer, _Ororo thought to herself. _An innocent and wonderful man is being buried because of you, Ororo! _She wanted to torture herself, to just die at that very moment. As the last collection of dirt was placed over Logan's flat gravesite, Ororo couldn't take it any longer. The winds intensified and pushed Miguel from her side. She flew into the air, her sandal-like heels falling to the ground as she gained altitude. The snow began to fall heavier and the clouds deepened, even darker than before. Thunder roared and in a minute's time, almost a foot of snow was covering the ground in its cold texture.

The mourning participants of Logan's burial fled into the mansion, all except Jean and Miguel.

"She's hurting," Jean said with her green eyes peeled to the sky. It was hard to catch a glimpse of Ororo's body as it tossed and flipped in the air. She had seen Ororo do this many times, as if she were on an invisible roller coaster, just flying aimlessly while thinking.

"Yeah," Miguel responded, his brown eyes looking down at the snow as he constantly kicked the piles of falling snow off of his feet. "I know she is. She has such a defined meaning of responsibility that she becomes to hard on herself. Can you help her?"

"I can understand her," Jean said, her red hair blowing in her face as the wind began to howl. "When I was possessed by the Dark Phoenix, I did some crazy things that I never wanted to do, including destroying an entire galaxy. I nearly killed all my friends and I wondered whether or not I could stay. I wondered if my team would look at me different or consider me as a killer."

"So what made you make up your mind to stay?" Miguel asked, curious.

"I had --," Jean paused as she reconstructed her thoughts and reworded her sentence. "Love is perhaps the most craziest thing to understand, you know? After my entire _cosmic-entity-dark-power-_days were over, I was worried about ever coming back to his place. But Scott was relentless. He was always by my side, always supporting me, and always reassuring me that I was loved not only by the team, but also by him. Love did the thinking for me. I knew that I still loved every person in this mansion as my brother, sister, father, or mother – and with Scott there to support me, I found the courage within myself to say. And it turns out, they treated me no different." Jean paused again, turning her face from the sky as she looked at Miguel. Her cheeks were red, her nose was a resemblance of a pointy beet, and her lips were dry and stale, but she persisted. "Can you be the man for Ororo that Scott was for me? She's my sister – but I can't love her like you can," Jean said, and then a question popped into her head. "Do you love her?"

"We've only known each other for a few days, but after all of this," he said. "Soy I bastante seguro la amo y nunca podré perder mi amor para ella." Jean smiled, as she telepathically was able to understand every word. _I am pretty sure I love her and will never be able to lose my love for her._

"You need to talk to talk to her now before we get buried in the mansion for the rest of the week," Jean smiled, trying her best to chuckle under the morbid conditions. She telekinetically grabbed Ororo's body out of the air and began to pull her down. Lightning flared in Ororo's eyes, and Jean let go of her grasp with her hands out as a sign of peace, "Sorry! Sorry!"

Ororo hovered slightly above the two, her blue eyes covered in white and not a tear in sight. Perhaps that time alone in the sky had given her the ability to postpone her tears for all these years. Perhaps there was just something about riding the wind. Jean spoke, as Miguel remained silent and still amazed at Ororo's abilities and beauty, "Ororo... how are you holding up?"

Jean's question hung in the air before Ororo finally breathed in deeply and landed on the ground. She was an inch or so taller than Jean and a few inches shorter than Miguel, making for a perfect staircase arrangement if placed in the right order. "I am... concerned about my future here."

"Ororo, this is your home," Jean smiled as she embraced her sister before heading towards the mansion.

Miguel and Ororo shared odd looks in the falling snow before Miguel bent down on one knee, put his hands behind his back and looked up at Ororo, "Never before have I met a woman so gorgeous. I'm ready to do anything it takes to make you happy. So if you will..."

Ororo gasped, thinking to herself, _'Could this be a proposal?' _Her blue eyes studied his serious face and submissive position. _'After only a few days?' _Much to Ororo's surprise, as Miguel pulled his hands from behind his back; her stomach was met with a soft snowball. Miguel chuckled as he tackled Ororo and the two fell in the snow.

Ororo was on her back before she knew it. Miguel was over her, supporting himself up by his knees and arms, creating only a bit of distance between his body and Ororo's. "Would you dare begin a snow fight with one who controls not only the snow but the wind?" Ororo said, nearly smiling. Was Miguel able to alleviate her stress that easily? Apparently.

"Mi jinete hermoso del viento," _my beautiful windrider, _Miguel said, almost growling as he enticingly spoke to Ororo. "I love you." He placed a gentle kiss with his cold lips on Ororo's forehead as she laid in the snow, looking up to him with sad yet happy eyes.

-=-=-

"Sounds like a storm's coming," Miguel said as he approached Ororo and Remy, who were sitting in working clothes at Logan's gravesite. The winter season had passed and summer was well into its hot days and torrential thunderstorms.

"I regret to inform you, yet again, that the weatherman is wrong," Ororo smiled as she adorned Logan's grave with flowers. It had become apart of her garden and apart of her memories. She took good care of the gravesite, as well as nurturing her friendships throughout the mansion.

Things had most definitely changed. Everett was now in the X-Men's ranks, Remy had finally let go of his protective watch over Ororo, and Miguel was given the okay by the Professor to come and go as he pleased.

"De storm still be comin Miguel," Remy snickered. "Wit' dis belle around, de _forecast_ is always _stormy_." Ororo glared at Remy with a smile in her ever-so-serious eyes as Miguel sat by her side and the three enjoyed the kiss of the sunlight and songs of the birds for a little while longer.

-=-=-=-

o_o


End file.
